Sim Video is now SIM Digital, and Founder/CEO Rob Sim says the name change reflects “a company that has worked hard to be at the forefront of our industry, always evolving.” Now in its 30th year, the international equipment and production service provider is working with top productions, like “Falling Skies” in Vancouver, “The Vampire Diaries” in Atlanta, and the massive Guillermo del Toro film Pacific Rim in Toronto. “Productions see no boundaries on where or how they shoot today,” says SIM Digital CSO Jim Martin. “Our clients need to have access to our equipment and services in any city or country they decide to shoot in, so we’ve made it a priority to be more accessible.”

Entertainment tax incentives have had a major impact on film production, and producers are now seeking studios internationally to accommodate their production needs and make filming more efficient. These studios and stages around the world can only thrive by being competitive to serve the industry with services and facilities that will continue to entice filmmakers.

NBCUniversal Studios in Southern California is home to TV hits like “Desperate Housewives,” “Parenthood” and the “CSI” franchise, and it currently boasts 30 soundstages (measuring up to 30,000+ square feet) and over 30 backlot locations on 391 acres. Its New York City brownstones, Western streets and underwater tank are just some of the “locations” that make up the Studio’s impressive backlot. “We have a Post Production Media Services group offering complete post sound services, including editorial, mixing, mastering, ADR and Foley plus picture editorial equipment rentals and suites,” reports Aaron Rogers, NBCUniversal’s director of advertising and publicity. “Our Digital Services group offers picture postproduction, [including] editing, color correction, duplication, encoding and more.”

Heading south on the map, the picturesque state of New Mexico offers a refundable production-tax credit of 25 percent, and its close proximity to Los Angeles keeps Albuquerque Studios busy hosting new Hollywood productions, like The Avengers, The Host and The Lone Ranger (starring Armie Hammer and Johnny Depp). With eight soundstages and 100,000 square feet of adjacent production office and support space, Albuquerque Studios is well-equipped to host big-budget films like Terminator Salvation as well as independent films and commercials. The facility continues to house several local vendors, including Entertainment Partners, Rockbottom Rentals, Absolut Video, Clairmont Camera and Enterprise. And New Mexico Lighting & Grip, Hertz Entertainment Services and Star Waggons are all on-site to provide convenient and fast services and equipment to production companies shooting in New Mexico. Albuquerque Studios also continues to work alongside Studio Concierge (operated by Southwest Suites), which provides productions with local information, reliable service and the lowest rates on travel, housing and other key production needs.

Moving east, Pennsylvania has Sun Center Studios, the only purpose-built and design-built soundstage facility and campus in the state. Along with 20,000-square-foot soundstages, the Studio contains 30,000 square feet of office space and eight acres of woods with a running stream for location shots. “Currently, the Columbia Pictures sci-fi futuristic thriller After Earth, starring Will Smith [and] Jaden Smith, is filming on the three stages at Sun Center Studios,” reports Senior VP Adam Rotwitt. “Studio management is in preliminary discussions with a couple of network pilots, some cable television miniseries and one major studio feature film to potentially move in following the departure of After Earth.”

Rotwitt states that Sun Center is the newest facility on the east coast that was specifically constructed to meet the standards of the entertainment industry and the production activities of its creative community in filming big-budget features and episodic TV shows. “By virtue of Sun Center Studios being on a 33-acre campus, it allows for productions to be largely self-contained at the facility and perform as much of its physical production activities and stage work in one location, that in turn allows for efficiency and maximum productivity while taking advantage of all the great attributes of filming in Pennsylvania, i.e. the 25-percent tax credit, talented crew [and] diverse landscape,” Rotwitt notes. “The studio also has one of the largest solar arrays in the entire state of Pennsylvania and promotes sustainability and environmental practices throughout its business.” Sun Center’s growing list of clients shows it to be a favorable option for TV shows, features and other productions. Since opening in 2010, the Studio has hosted one big-budget film and three commercials for Arby’s, Powerade and the Pennsylvania Lottery.

East-coast neighbor Silvercup Studios is an extremely busy facility in New York City that hosts a slew of popular TV productions, including “30 Rock,” “Gossip Girl,” “White Collar,” “Unforgettable,” “Person of Interest,” “A Gifted Man” and HBO’s “Girls,” which filmed its pilot and first season at Silvercup. With a main lot featuring 13 studios and an east lot with 6 drive-on studios, the facility is able to simultaneously host a multitude of productions.

Filmmakers from all over the world are attracted to Silvercup because of its convenient location, full-service facility, recent investments in updated equipment, and offerings like Silvertrucks, which provides on-location lighting. “Producers also choose to film at Silvercup because of the size/number of individual shooting and support spaces,” says Silvercup CEO Alan Suna. “Currently, Silvercup is the largest film/TV facility operation in New York and can accommodate the greatest number of clients. Also, clients see dollar-for-dollar value by choosing to film at Silvercup.” Executive Producer Merrill Karpf, who filmed “Unforgettable” at Silvercup, agrees that the Studio is top-notch. “Silvercup is a first-class facility with superior and accommodating management as well as cost-effective pricing,” says Karpf. “It is easily accessible to Manhattan and the other boroughs, and anyone fortunate to film there would soon consider it their home.” Producer Alysse Bezahler (“A Gifted Man”) knows Silvercup well after working with the Studio for many years. “Silvercup is reasonably priced and the owners are good,” says Bezahler. “There are logistic issues, such as no elaborate backlots, but that’s all of New York. It would be hard to get in right now because of the tax credits, but there are short-term jobs in commercials. I recommend this studio, [as] it is a good studio right outside of Manhattan.”

When the New York State Film Production Tax Credit Program was created, Silvercup worked with other local film/TV industry stakeholders to have tax credit legislation passed. They recently worked together again to have the program extended last year. And Suna notes that another thing making Silvercup Studios special is that it seems to have good karma: “With ‘The Sopranos,’ ‘Sex and the City’ and ‘30 Rock’ leading the way, shows shot at Silvercup Studios have won more awards than any other New York studio facility!”

Up north in Ontario, Canada, Pinewood Toronto Studios handles numerous projects ranging from commercials to blockbuster films, such as the remake of Total Recall (starring Colin Farrell) for Sony Pictures. The facility consists of nine stages, with the “mega stage” being the largest at 45,900 square feet, and a new multipurpose space at 54 Commissioners Road, where the sci-fi feature The Colony is currently shooting. The Studio also strongly supports independent film development and has a number of films currently in circulation, such as David Cronenberg’s Cosmopolis (starring Robert Pattinson) and Sarah Polley’s Take this Waltz (starring Michelle Williams and Seth Rogen).

In British Columbia, Canada, Vancouver Film Studios is the largest production facility outside of Los Angeles. Its impressive list of clients include Universal, Fox, NBC, CBC and Warner Bros., and all help to keep the Studio busy with production. The facility boasts 13 soundstages (10 that are purpose built) and 6 production offices, and its production support services include production equipment rentals, telecommunication and IT services, and an aviation helicopter and jet charter company. Vancouver Film Studios also holds one of the largest special-effects stages in Canada.

On the other side of the globe, Hungary’s generous 20-percent entertainment-tax incentive and pocket-friendly exchange rate has made Budapest a popular filming destination. The versatile Eastern European city can double for many Western European or international cities, and it’s the home of Raleigh Studios Budapest, a major studio that’s well known to visiting filmmakers. Raleigh offers nine soundstages (including one at 45,000 square feet) as well as green screens and a 10-acre backlot. The studio’s international partners provide full transportation; set/location lighting and grip services with Hollywood Rentals; ARRI camera gear and services located on the lot; line producing with Raleigh Film; and a state-of-the-art postproduction facility and film laboratory. “Currently, our largest tenant is a large-budget movie for 20th Century Fox, Die Hard 5, but officially it has a longer title,” says Stephen Auer, director of studio operations. “We are also leasing several stages to local Hungarian productions, [including] a soap opera and several game shows. We aim for the larger feature films but also can accommodate miniseries [and] serial television productions, and we fit in commercials and events whenever there is space in our schedules.”

In the Czech Republic, Barrandov Studios is a full-service facility that offers 14 soundstages as well as a water tank and high-quality postproduction and support facilities. “We are at about 90-percent capacity,” reports Barrandov representative William Stuart. “Currently shooting at Barrandov’s Main Studios is the second season of ‘Borgia,’ the Czech version of ‘In Treatment’ for local HBO, a large-scale Korean feature called Snowpiercer, and a number of commercials. Our Stage 3 is dedicated to productions for Barrandov TV, and our satellite stages [Hostivar 4] are 100-percent booked with Czech TV projects.”

While tax incentives have helped to put some studios on the map, available services and stages are ultimately the deciding factor for securing a film/TV production. And while Southern California studios continue to bustle with productions, there are now many other options for film and TV projects worldwide.

The Glendale Media Center is a first-class television production facility located in Glendale, Arizona, where you can get the L.A. look for the Arizona price! Located in the heart of the Phoenix metropolitan area’s sports and entertainment district, it’s designed by broadcast veterans with one priority in mind – provide clients with exceptional state-of-the-art studios in a premier location. The Valley of the Sun offers unique Southwestern living with mountains, desert landscape and unbelievable sunsets, along with world class golf, resort spas and now the production studios that will have you planning your next shoot in Arizona.

The Glendale Media Center features two large rental studios with seamless Cyc walls and multi-format HD production for videos, advertising and commercials, studio audience shows and more. Studio A is 48X60 with a 20-foot light grid and features 5 Grass Valley LDK800 HD cameras, Arri & Kino Flo lighting, Road Hog lighting console, Dolly, teleprompter and more. Studio B at 30X40 has an 18-foot light grid, versatile background and a winning combination of news and talk show sets. Production control offers HD shoots from Studios A & B, a Grass Valley Kayak multi-format switcher, a Calrec Zeta 32 channel audio board, a fully programmable 32 input Evertz monitor wall and a Deko 3000 two channel fully loaded character generator. Use the announce booth to record audio, mix sound or voice over with a Neumann large diaphragm microphone.

The Glendale Media Center offers clients a comfortable and classy atmosphere complete with green room, make-up/dressing room with shower, cable television, free WiFi Internet connection and free parking. CNN Sports, ESPN, Fox News Channel and many other production companies have shot everything from sports beauty shots to political ads to infomercials to music videos.

Located just 20 minutes from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport next to the Loop 101, the Glendale Media Center is also within walking distance of Glendale’s NFL stadium, which will play host to the Super Bowl again in 2015. It is also right next door to Glendale’s NHL and concert arena, and 10 minutes from Glendale’s MLB spring training facility. Fiber connections to all three of these Glendale sports centers plus a fourth floor roof deck give backdrop views for live shots and stand-ups you can’t get anywhere else.

Jeanne Cordova has been named Senior Vice President of Marketing, PR and Special Events for NBCUniversal Operations and Technical Services.

In her expanded role Jeanne will be responsible for all marketing for our groups at Universal, New York, Chicago and other key locations. She will continue to directly oversee publicity, promotions, communications, advertising, customer relations and special events with focus on enhancing the awareness of NBC Universal production and post production services.

Jeanne previously served as Vice President, Marketing, Publicity and Special Events for NBC Universal Media Works. Prior to that she was Director of Marketing and Publicity for Digital, Television and Studio Operations, where she was responsible for marketing and publicity campaigns to promote both production and post production services on the Universal lot. Jeanne oversaw the launch of Universal Studios production website and the grand openings of BluWave Audio, Universal Studios Digital Services and the team for the recent New York Street location re-opening.

As Canon DSLR cameras become more popular in Hollywood’s entertainment industry, Canon U.S.A. has just announced the opening of a new support center to better serve its film and television production clients. The Canon Hollywood Professional Technology and Support Center, located at the historic Sunset Gower Studio lot on 6060 Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, will provide a local site to foster support, research, service and training for camera owners/shooters and others interested in using Canon cameras.

“We want to offer a one-stop shop where our clients can come to ask questions and explore our various products with the help of our highly qualified technical and engineering staff members,” says Yuichi Ishizuka, executive VP and general manager of Imaging Technologies and Communications Group at Canon U.S.A. “The Canon Hollywood Professional Technology and Support Center provides a well-equipped venue for working with professionals in a range of imaging industries, from film and television production to still imaging and professional output.”

Comprehensive repair services for Canon professional products will be available in the new Hollywood facility starting in late 2011. On-site repair operations will include two state-of-the-art camera-body-and-lens adjustment rooms; Canon’s advanced adjustment-and-calibration equipment; local spare-parts inventory; and an experienced, professional repair staff that can quickly return Canon’s professional products to their original factory condition and operation.

The facility will support business opportunities by offering one-to-one meetings with major clients in the industry to further build relationships and assess their needs. It will also offer hands-on education to current and potential clients on the latest Canon professional products. Courtesy visits by both existing and potential industry clients can be arranged to explore opportunities and assess Canon’s full capabilities. Guilds, unions or organizations affiliated with film and television production are encouraged to inquire about hosting seminars, events and industry gatherings at Canon’s Hollywood Center. The Center will also host Canon Live Learning (CLL) workshops, which are fee-based seminars for professionals and enthusiasts looking to further their imaging education.

In the world of independent films, creativity is key. Every indie director and cinematographer knows that when you don’t have the budget, you better have the know-how ─ especially when it comes to shot lists, blocking and floor plans.

“Production is a difficult beast ─ even on a good day,” says Robert Ballo, senior lecturer at the USC School of Cinematic Arts. Ballo has been teaching cinematography to both graduate and undergraduate USC students for nearly 19 years and has been a producer and cinematographer for 25 years. “With shot lists, it’s a creative give and take as to what each person feels they need in order to cover the scene effectively to tell the story,” explains Ballo. “Personally, I don’t use storyboards or any sort of software to make my shot lists, and I don’t ever tell anyone to either. There are programs out there that you can use, but I don’t find them necessary.”

Ballo makes the point that the reality of shooting a film occurs on the set. It’s about what happens once you get the actors in and the lights on and the crew ready, because what’s on paper doesn’t always end up on film. “It’s about having the shot list ready with probably a little more than you need, and then it’s about being confident and flexible enough to deviate from that,” says Ballo.

For Clay Liford, an Austin-based indie director and cinematographer, it’s all about collaboration mixed with creativity. “The two people I rely on most are my director of photography and assistant director,” explains Liford, whose films Earthling and Wuss screened at the SXSW Film Festival. “The AD arguably knows the script better than I do by the time we’re shooting.” After the script is locked, he meets with the DP at the location and blocks out every shot.

“Unless there are really big effects involved, I do dialogue-driven shot lists ─ not so much action-based,” says Liford. “I use storyboards only if there are effects that have to be composited in later ─ like if I'm shooting a specific background plate that some CG will be added to in post. I try and stay away from [a] master shot [and] reverse shot and find creative ways to work away from that.”

Like Ballo, Liford believes that being prepared is key. “I usually always know what I need and want going into it,” he adds. “I think it’s a good idea to go into it all with a solid plan, because that gives you room to experiment.” J.T. Mollner, a Los Angeles-based indie director, sees the benefit of blocking strategies and explains that there seems to be two ways to block. “I’m still learning and growing so I’m not set on one way or the other,” says Mollner. “The first way is to let the actors do their thing in the rehearsal and see where their characters take them. The second way is to block it for them so that we can have the lighting and everything ready. On low-budget films you don’t really have the luxury of the first option, so I have everything ready to go and plug the actors in, like pawns on a chessboard.”

Mollner recently shot Sugartown, a dramatic film about American soldiers lost in the Iraqi desert. This project was particularly challenging when it came to blocking. The production essentially did away with a shot list, since it was planned to have scenes shot all in one take with Cinematographer Gavin Kelly following the soldiers through their actions. “It was all blocking, a sort of improvised dance in a sense,” recalls Mollner. “We took one whole day to rehearse and then did all the shooting the following day.”

It should go without saying that blocking is an essential part of doing a good job in filmmaking. It’s a logistical, technical and creative must-have aspect of the production process, as it helps the actors to get into their roles while allowing the crew to see what’s going to happen — it also allows the operators to place the cameras appropriately.

Shot lists are just as important, but floor plans don’t seem to be necessary for every filmmaker. Of course, every director works differently. “Every now and then you have a complicated scene, maybe with complicated blocking and a lot of [line] crosses and the potential to break the 180-degree axis,” says Liford. “In that situation, having a floor plan, or what I call a top-down, really helps because you can draw lines and see exactly where you can and can’t move and where you can and can’t have the cameras and equipment.”

Mollner admits to not using floor plans and says that he’s talked to some directors who barely make a shot list at all. “For me, I’m really visual and the visual aspect of the film is as important as the actors, says Mollner. “I come from the Scorsese or Kubrick school of filmmaking, where the shots are really a character in the film. I sit down with the script for days or weeks, depending on the length of the script. I go through every line and establish a picture in my head of exactly how I want the film to look after the edit. My shot list consists of very specific camera movements and angles, lenses and descriptions of what I want. I know that once I’ve done my shot list, my job is pretty much done before I get to set, except for working with the actors.”

In independent filmmaking, planning for shot lists, floor plans and blocking in preproduction is essential, as it allows DPs and directors to be well prepared — it also offers filmmakers the chance to take advantage of the creative process that happens on the set. “[Saying] ‘roll camera,’ that’s the easy part,” says Ballo.

This announcement about another Hollywood-China deal was just posted to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange website in the past hour.

It follows Legendary Entertainment’s June news that it formed Legendary East, a stand-alone entertainment company creating feature film and related content for a worldwide audience. Legendary East is based in Hong Kong, with Chinese management and international investors as well as Thomas Tull’s Legendary Entertainment. Today, Legendary East announced the investment vehicle to inject $220.5M of cash from Paul Y Engineering Group Ltd by issuing new shares on... Read More

The glamorous film nostalgia of the precious past is holding hands with today’s 21st- century cutting-edge technology, all contained within the walls of the iconic Sunset Gower and Sunset Bronson Studios. Their extraordinary collaboration brought to life Hollywood’s first true movie studio that has a structure like no other — it’s a genuine landmark representing a remarkable piece of history on the well-known Sunset Boulevard. In fact, as you drive by, you’ll pass the location where the first feature-length “talkie” movie was produced (The Jazz Singer).

Located in the heart of Hollywood, Sunset Gower Studios has a history that goes back to the very beginning of Tinsel Town. In 1911, the Nestor Film Company relocated from New York City to Sunset Boulevard and Gower Street in Los Angeles, making it the first studio established in Hollywood. In 1922, Harry Cohn set up nearby at 6070 Sunset Boulevard, and, in 1924, he established Columbia Pictures, discovering such iconic talent as Frank Capra. During Hollywood’s Golden Era, Columbia purchased all of the adjacent lots to the original buildings on Sunset Boulevard, establishing the nearly 16 acres that make up Sunset Gower Studios today. In 1958, the passing of Harry Cohn ended that Hollywood era. His funeral, held on Sunset Gower’s Stages 12 and 14, was considered one of the largest in Hollywood history.

In 2007, Hudson Capital LLC (the predecessor to current owner Hudson Pacific Properties, Inc.) purchased the property and embarked on a multimillion-dollar capital improvement program to enhance and upgrade the historic studio, making Sunset Gower Studios the state-of-the-art, premier independent production facility it is today. Hudson oversaw the construction of Technicolor’s new-world headquarters, a six-story, glass-and-steel office building located at Sunset Gower. And more studio upgrades continue with two newly built high-definition control rooms at Sunset Bronson Studios. Both Studios are currently home to many top network and cable companies, including HBO, ABC, NBC, CBS, Disney and Nickelodeon. “While we embrace all of the history that our studios have to offer, we are forward thinking in our ability to keep up with the growing convergence of media and technology, as you can find throughout our updated infrastructure,” says Terri Melkonian, VP of Sales and Marketing.

Sunset Gower and its sister studio Sunset Bronson are a dynamic part of the Hudson Pacific Properties portfolio, which consists of 13 office and media/entertainment real-estate assets totaling more than 4 million square feet. Based in Los Angeles, Hudson Pacific is a full-service, vertically integrated and publicly traded real-estate investment trust focused on owning, operating and acquiring high-quality office and state-of-the-art media and entertainment properties in select growth markets primarily in Northern and Southern California.

]]>Studios & StagesMon, 16 May 2011 19:46:57 +0000What is Fairplex and Why You Should Care?http://www.p3update.com/production/97-studios-stages/what-is-fairplex-and-why-you-should-care
http://www.p3update.com/production/97-studios-stages/what-is-fairplex-and-why-you-should-care

Film production in California has been a major contributor to the state's economy since the beginning of motion pictures and television. While other states have recently used tax incentives to tempt producers, the Los Angeles area still remains the production hub.

California is also fortunate to have a diverse geographic range –– no matter what type of setting you're looking to achieve, you can find it in California. And Fairplex, based in the eastern end of Los Angeles County, offers the perfect diverse geography to fit many production backgrounds.

Home of the L.A. County Fair, Fairplex's 543 acres are virtually a city within a city that provides film crews with a private backlot atmosphere. There aren't many Southern California locations that offer not only a quarter-mile drag strip, but a 5/8-mile horse racetrack as well. Fairplex offers those unique elements and more:

· Home to NHRA's Auto Club Raceway complete with seating for 30,000

· Live Thoroughbred Horse Racing at Fairplex Park

· Tree-lined streets, park-like settings and an infield

· 250,000 square feet of sound stages with ceilings as high as 50 feet

· A variety of barns, stables and horse arenas as well as a working farm

· Full-size and miniature outdoor trains

· An art gallery, wine cellar and Wally Parks NHRA Automotive Museum

· A fire station, police station and gas station

· Board rooms, conference rooms and offices

· A sports bar and private restaurant available for filming

· Onsite Sheraton Hotel

Encompassing five million square feet, Fairplex's unobstructed parking lots are perfect for high-speed pursuits, stunts, set construction and long-term filming. This is where Herbie the Love Bug drove on two wheels during a street race scene for Herbie: Fully Loaded; Bruce Willis raced through the streets of Los Angeles along with helicopter for the final chase scene in Live Free or Die Hard; Fairplex Park doubled as Mexico's Aguas Caliente racetrack for Academy Award Best Picture nominee Seabiscuit; an interior tree-lined corridor served as Kentucky's second-largest farmers market, where Orlando Bloom searched for love in Elizabethtown; and the Millard Sheets Center for the Arts made the perfect setting for the UFO convention scene in Escape to Witch Mountain.

Fairplex tries to work with all budgets on everything from photo shoots to feature films, and the onsite Sheraton Hotel offers special filming rates. The Fairplex staff is sensitive to the needs and timelines of large and small-scale productions alike. Well known for being film-friendly, Fairplex strives to enhance its stellar reputation, offering simple film permitting through the L.A. County Fire Department.

Fairplex is proud to be a business member of the Location Managers Guild of America. They have sponsored the annual California On Location Awards since 2004, as well as the California Only Locations reception, and they exhibit in the AFCI Locations Trade Show annually. Fairplex also provides hospitality for film industry professionals including invitations to the L.A. County Fair.

California's expanding 30 Mile Studio Zone will soon include Fairplex, which is currently just eight miles outside. Enlarging the zone will provide more filming opportunities and increase employment throughout Southern California.

For a private tour of Fairplex or more information, contact Melissa DeMonaco-Tapia at 909-226-8813 or demonaco@fairplex.com. You can also visit its website at fairplex.com/filming.